Because of the scarcity and increasing expense of many conventional high temperature structural metals, increased attention has focused on nonmetal containing composites as replacements for conventional high temperature metal-containing materials. Use of metal replacement high strength fiber reinforced resin and even high strength fiber reinforced metal matrix composites has progressed to the point of commercial acceptance in products ranging from sporting goods to advanced jet aircraft components. One of the big problems with these composites, however, has been their maximum use temperature. And while great strides have been made in raising the use temperatures, for example by utilizing such composites as graphite fiber reinforced glass and alumina fiber reinforced glass, there is still much room for improvement. For example, while the graphite fiber reinforced glass composite demonstrates high levels of strength, fatigue resistance, and fracture toughness, it is also susceptible to detrimental fiber oxidation at elevated temperatures. And while composites such as alumina fiber reinforced glass are oxidatively stable at high temperatures, the overall strength and toughness levels attainable with these composites is less than that possible with a graphite reinforced glass system for example. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a composite with high strength, high fracture toughness, and oxidation stability at high temperatures.